An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/ganz

by Friedrich Kluge

ganz, adjective, ‘whole, complete, entire,’ from Middle High German and Old High German ganz, adjective, ‘uninjured, complete, whole, healthy,’ properly a High German word simply, which was adopted, however, by the Teutonic dialects of Middle Europe (Danish ganske, Dutch gansch, Old Frisian gans; n would not have been retained before s in a native Danish or Frisian word. The early history of Old High German ganz is obscure; if its primary meaning is ‘encircling,’ it is perhaps connected with Greek χανδάνω, ‘to comprise’; compare Greek χανδός, ‘spacious’?.